Garbanzo Beans with Tomatoes and Onions

Garbanzo beans with tomatoes and onions is a simple yet delicious tapas dish. The delicate flavors of the onion and tomato along with soft creamy garbanzo when cooked is something you must experience with your appetizer happy hour.

What do chickpeas taste link?

It is hard to believe that this funny little legume packs such a flavor and nutritional punch. Legumes, because of their rich nutritional content are key to maintaining a healthy body. One cup alone gives you 27% of your daily protein requirements. Not too shabby!! Another great attribute is they don't loose their nutritional value when canned as many vegetables do.

How else can you use chickpeas?

This legume is extremely versatile in its uses. Garbanzo beans feature greatly in the cuisine of North Africa, Greece, Spain, Italy, India and the Middle East. They are used to  top salads, make soups, stews and side dishes.  It is inexpensive and easily accessible. Garbanzo beans are also gluten free. As a matter of fact, dry chickpeas can be ground into flour to suit those individuals on a gluten free diet.  I have successfully used garbanzo bean flour as a binder for meatballs.

They key to achieving perfection in this dish is to make  sure the onions cook down so their sweetness can be brought out. This tapas dish can be eaten hot or cold, although I much prefer it hot. At home I serve it on thin slices of toasted baguette.  This recipe has been adapted from Penelope Casa's excellent book; Tapas: The Little Dishes of Spain

How to make garbanzo bean tapas step by step

1. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans.
2. Add the onion slice, bay leaf, garlic clove, garbanzo beans and 1 cup of water.
3. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.
4. While simmering you can sauté the onions until translucent.
5. Add the tomato when the onions are soft.
6. Once the tomato is soft add the garbanzo beans that have been drained. The onion, garlic and bay leaf have also been removed.
7. Combine and cook together until the beans are soft.
8. Add the parsley and get ready to serve on some crusty toasted bread!

And now, I get to bore or acquaint you with some interesting historical tidbits. Garbanzo beans are one of the earliest legumes cultivated. Archaeological remains dating back 7500 years have been found. Garbanzo beans are thought to have originated in the Middle East, then later became popular with the Egyptians, Greeks and the Romans.

Key tips recap

• Make sure the tomatoes and onions cook down
• If you want the dish's colors to pop, put the parsley on right before serving

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I make the garbanzo tapas dish ahead? Yes, you can prepare this a 3-4 days in advance. Be sure to let the beans completely cool before storing in the refrigerator. Reheat the dish in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and stop to stir every 30-45 seconds until hot. I would leave out the chopped parsley and add this fresh when you serve.
• Can I freeze the finished garbanzo beans tapas? Yes, garbanzo beans freeze quite well and this dish can be frozen for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw it out overnight in the refrigerator and heat in the microwave and I described above. Again, add the chopped parsley fresh before serving.
• How long will the leftover garbanzo tapas last in the refrigerator? Once this dish has completely cooled you can store this in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

If you love appetizers or tapas dishes, here are some more to try at your next party.  Bookmark them for later ,or pin them on Pinterest.
Mango tomatillo salsa bring a sweet and spicy flavor mix to the party, and it so easy to make.  Chorizo in wine red wine sauce is a classic tapas dish and comes together very quickly.  If you love to grill, then prueba de cerdo is a dish of thinly sliced pork loin you can marinate the night before the party and quickly grill just before your guests arrive.  A vegetarian option to offer at your tapas party would be this tasty mushrooms in sherry sauce served on some crusty bread. Another one of my absolute favorites is tortilla española or Spanish potato pie.  Buen provecho!

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Garbanzo Beans with Tomatoes and Onions Recipe

Here is a simple recipe for a classic and authentic Spanish chickpeas tapas dish.  Garbanzo con cebolla y tomate has simple delicate flavors and is truly a delicious and easy tapas dish to make. You will love the creamy texture of the cooked garbanzo beans.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Spanish

Keyword: cooked garbanzo, crostini, healthy, tapas

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 145kcal

Author: Analida Braeger

Ingredients

• 15 oz. garbanzo beans 1 can, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup water
• 1 slice onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 garlic clove peeled
• 1 onion medium, chopped
• ½ Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Roma tomato skinned and cut
• ¼ tsp. black pepper ground
• 1 Tbsp. curley parsley chopped
• ¼ Kosher salt to taste

Serve on toasted sliced baguette.

Instructions

• Drain the garbanzo beans and rinse.
• Place the garbanzo beans in a pan with enough water to cover. Add sliced onion, garlic and bay leaf and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
• Drain and discard bay leaf, onion slice and garlic.
• In a skillet, add the olive oil, sauté the chopped onion until soft, add the tomato, garbanzo beans and cook until tomato is soft.
• Sprinkle with fresh parsley.
• Serve warm with slices of warm toasted baguette.

Notes

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Can I make the garbanzo tapas dish ahead? Yes, you can prepare this a 3-4 days in advance. Be sure to let the beans completely cool before storing in the refrigerator. Reheat the dish in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and stop to stir every 30-45 seconds until hot. I would leave out the chopped parsley and add this fresh when you serve.
• Can I freeze the finished garbanzo beans tapas? Yes, garbanzo beans freeze quite well and this dish can be frozen for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw it out overnight in the refrigerator and heat in the microwave and I described above. Again, add the chopped parsley fresh before serving.
• How long will the leftover garbanzo tapas last in the refrigerator? Once this dish has completely cooled you can store this in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 323mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 155IU | Vitamin C: 7.1mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 2.6mg